Long-simmering complaints about surf fishermen are reaching a boil in several communities that neighbor Delaware Seashore State Park and Fenwick Island State Park. Adding to their frustration: State policymakers aren't listening to their concerns, they say.

“When you rent property or you have families who walk on the beach in the height of summer, it’s hard to even place your blanket between two trucks," said Tim Willard, the Georgetown attorney representing the newly formed Beach Access Coalition.

The coalition asked the state to create "no parking" or "pedestrian only" zones in 100-yard-wide swaths of beach adjacent to 10 crossover boardwalks. It outlined its concerns in a Feb. 7 letter to Gov. John Carney and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary David Small.

Last week, the head of the Delaware State Parks system, which manages the two parks, rejected the group's request for relief.

“We’ve always seen those beaches as multi-use beaches," Ray Bivens said in an interview. "It’s first-come, first serve. We just ask people to respect each other.”

Surf fishing advocates described the decision as a victory for public beach access.

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The coalition's proposal would have effectively barred access to far more of the beach than its letter suggested, said Bruce West, president of the Delaware Mobile Surf Fishermen group. In the Fenwick park, for example, since there are no vehicle crossings in between the "pedestrian only" zones, the plan would have wiped out about one-third of the area currently accessible to surf fishermen, he said.

“They wanted a private beach from Memorial Day to Labor Day where there would be no trucks that could drive on where they have access areas," West said.

Charles Turnbaugh, the coalition's coordinator, disputes that assertion. If state officials had negotiated with the group, it would have been happy to allow truck traffic through the 100-yard areas in exchange for banning truck parking there, he said.

“The principal reason to own a beach house is to be able to put down your blanket or chairs and take some sun and get into the water periodically," said Turnbaugh, who owns a second home in the Indian Harbor Villas complex in north Bethany Beach, which he also rents to vacationers. "With wall-to-wall trucks a not infrequent occasion, there’s no way to do that.”

Conflicts between pedestrians and truck drivers have been rising in recent years as the amount of truck traffic has increased, Turnbaugh and other critics say.

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The number of trucks using Sussex County's beaches annually surged from about 1,200 in 2001 to a high of about 16,600 in 2014, according to DNREC records. Traffic has declined slightly each of the past two years, whittling down to about 14,000 last year.

Drivers must buy metal license plate permits and attach them to their four-wheel-drive vehicles to get out on the sand. Anyone driving on beaches at certain state parks must be "actively engaged" in surf fishing, according to the law.

Critics allege that many drivers openly flout the fishing rule by setting up a pole in the sand with no bait on their hooks.

"The real reason people are driving to the beach is convenience," Willard said. "They can pack up all their coolers and drive right on and have all their stuff.”

The park system employs six full-time rangers to police the lower beaches, but that's not nearly enough to police the problem, critics say. In 2015, state officials began requiring trucks to park in a single-file line, in part, to make it easier to enforce the rule.

But complaints have persisted. Two years ago, Turnbaugh led an unsuccessful effort to create a truck-free zone around his community's boardwalk and around two nearby communities. The main tangible result of the campaign was the addition of state signs imploring visitors to respect the beach's multi-use character.

The outcry grew this year to 14 communities. With their collective financial resources, they hired Willard as their attorney and enlisted a lobbyist, Joe Conaway, a former Sussex County administrator.

In a letter declining the new coalition's request, Bivens announced a new requirement for those who rent properties to weekly renters: Starting this summer, any property advertising access to the beach in a state park beach must state that the beach is for "multiple users."

Turnbaugh said he will keep pleading his case to anyone who will listen.

DNREC

As he sees it, the issue is a matter of safety and protecting an important piece of the area's economy. He recalled having to refund part of a guest's fee after she complained that the glut of pickup trucks on the beach ruined her stay. At one point, her protests to a speeding driver were greeted by an obscene gesture, she told him.

For his part, West, the surf-fishing advocate, doesn't expect the pressure to let up anytime soon.